Charlie Daniels heart gets help keeping a beat

CNN — Legendary fiddle player Charlie Daniels got a new instrument Thursday -- a pacemaker to help his heart keep the beat.

Daniels, 76, found out he needed a pacemaker "to regulate his heart rate" after he checked into a hospital Monday to be treated for "a mild case of pneumonia," his publicist said Thursday.

"I just had not been feeling well and wanted to get checked out," Daniels said. "I am thankful the doctors found the problem and were able to implant a pacemaker to get my heart rate regulated. I am feeling so much better and looking forward to spending Easter with my family."

The surgery to implant the pacemaker happened in a Nashville area hospital Thursday morning, according to the statement from his publicist. He should be home Friday where he'll rest for two weeks, it said.

The Grand Ole Opry star, who may be best known for his 1979 hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," will continue touring, which he has done for more than four decades.

Performances in New Jersey and Ohio set for next week will be rescheduled, but Daniels plans to be back on stage with his fiddle in Lynchburg, Virginia, on April 11, the statement said.